Career Ready, Combat Ready: Army Reserve, Boeing sign partnership at AUSA
By day, Spc. Troy Jones makes sure the aircraft on his Boeing program are built to the required process. On drill weekends, he keeps Soldiers' personnel records current so they're ready to deploy.
"The mission is different, but the standard is the same: be ready," said Jones, a human resources specialist with the 478th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) and a program quality engineer at Boeing in the Puget Sound region.
On Monday, Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general of U.S. Army Reserve Command, and Jim Cutting, director of Army Systems for Boeing Government Operations, signed a proclamation designed to open doors for more Soldiers like Jones.
The signing followed the opening ceremony of the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition, which highlighted the Army's emphasis on private-sector partnerships.
More than 87% of Army Reserve Soldiers integrate military service with civilian careers, according to the Private Public Partnership Office. Industry strengthens Citizen-Soldiers, and the Army Reserve develops talent the Joint Force depends on.
Career Ready is Combat Ready.
"Being a leader in the Army Reserve today is a full-time job for part-time pay," Harter said. "We get 39 days a year to train. That's what we're funded for."
The rest of their year depends on civilian employers, both to make ends meet and to build the skills the Army and Joint Force count on.
"When Soldiers have meaningful civilian careers, they bring those skills and stability back to the force," said Lt. Col. Xeriqua Garfinkel, director of the Private Public Partnership Office (P3O). "Career readiness strengthens military readiness."
Cutting, who served as chief of unmanned aircraft systems in the Army's Aviation Directorate before joining Boeing, has seen Soldiers' grit up close. "Somehow they always get it done," he said. "That kind of tenacity is a valuable asset in any environment."
Brett Cox, Boeing employee and Army Reserve Ambassador for Missouri and has championed the partnership for more than a decade. "These are Army Reserve Soldiers building the airframes that go into the warfighter's hands," he said. "When we leverage that experience in both their military and civilian careers, they really are Twice the Citizen."
Capt. Kailyn Heck, a 654th Regional Support Group public affairs officer and Boeing social media strategist, returned from two weeks of annual training this summer with "nothing to worry about." "Army Reserve Soldiers don't choose between two worlds. We strengthen both," she said.
With the signing, Boeing joins nearly 300 P3O partner organizations. Reserve members may be eligible for more than 1,400 open positions across its five business units, including Commercial Airplanes and Defense, Space & Security.
The proclamation connects Soldiers, their dependents and veterans with hiring pathways, internships, SkillBridge opportunities, apprenticeships and credentialing. The nonbinding agreement has no expiration date and no cost to either party.
Harter said Boeing already employs more than 400 Army Reserve Soldiers. "We're kind of codifying what's already happening," he said.
Soldiers and family members can connect with the Private Public Partnership Office at usar.army.mil/P3. For more information about the U.S. Army Reserve and opportunities to serve, visit GoArmy.com or contact an Army recruiter to learn how you can serve part time while continuing your civilian career or education.
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